As Stephen A. Smith, Kawhi Leonard and ex-Bengals star T.J. Houshmandzadeh know, the NBA season is well underway. As such, NFL pundits and former NFL players will be forced to choose between games and storylines. Leonard’s knee injury has made headlines to the point that the NFL-centric names felt compelled to talk about the situation.
Leonard’s knee injury generated frustration for Smith, who went on record calling the player “the worst superstar in the history of sports” on First Take on Wednesday. In a “Speakeasy” video clip posted on X hours later on Wednesday, Houshmandzadeh defended Leonard, claiming the issue was with the NBA owners and the market.
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“You cannot be mad at him for accepting a deal that these teams and owners are willing to pay him. … They’re not willing to put their foot down, so Kawhi is doing what Kawhi should do: get every dollar you can make because when it’s over, it’s over.”
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According to Spotrac, the star isn’t cheap. Leonard is playing on a deal worth $115 million with an average salary of $57.5 million per season. He is in the first year of the deal, with it set to conclude after the 2028 season. Leonard has played in at least 65 games twice in his last eight seasons.
Stephen A. Smith issues profound declaration about Kawhi Leonard
Stephen A. Smith had put Kawhi Leonard on blast on First Take on Wednesday in comments that blamed him for getting injured. The scathing rant was posted on YouTube, as reported by blogto.
“This is the worst superstar in the history of sports,” Smith said. “He gets paid hundreds of millions of dollars. He is a veteran. He knows exactly what it takes to be ready.”
“What were you doing in the offseason to make sure you were ready for this upcoming season? … You can’t make it up. It’s unbelievable. … He should give master classes on how to get paid without working,” Smith added. “There has been no one better — no one better! — than Kawhi Leonard at getting paid for not working.”
Kawhi Leonard is set to miss “at least a week,” according to the team, as reported by the Associated Press. His left knee is swollen and will require treatment and a rehabilitation program to get back to full strength.
Edited by Ian Van Roy
